Iraq parliament elects Fuad Masum president: speaker

Iraqi parliament caretaker speaker Fuad Masum during a parliamentary session in Baghdad on July 27, 2010. Iraq's parliament on Thursday, July 24, 2014, elected veteran Kurdish politician Fuad Masum as federal president, a move that paves the way for the much-delayed formation of a new government. -- PHOTO: AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's parliament on Thursday elected veteran Kurdish politician Fuad Masum as federal president, a move that paves the way for the much-delayed formation of a new government.

He succeeds the ailing Jalal Talabani, who returned only five days ago from 18 months of medical treatment in Germany to serve out his tenure.

Parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi announced that Mr Masum, who was born in 1938 and became the first prime minister of autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan more than two decades ago, had garnered the most votes.

Mr Masum was almost guaranteed the job after Kurdish parties struck a late night deal to support him.